Metro gun hoaxer vowed to 'shoot to kill' after claiming he stabbed two friends

Ross Robertson

A gun hoaxer who vowed to “shoot to kill” during a train rampage has been put behind bars.

Alan Justice repeatedly rang 999 and claimed he was armed, had stabbed two friends, planned to open fire on the Metro system and would kill any police officers who tried to approach him.

The 28-year-old, who has previous convictions for similar offending, kept hanging-up on call handlers but ringing them back moments later to continue his threats.

Justice was identified as the caller after his mobile phone was traced.

The alcoholic dad was arrested five-days-later after “significant police resources” were used to find him.

At Newcastle Crown Court Justice, of Bellshill Close, Wallsend, has been jailed for 146 days after admitting sending a false message by a public electronic communication network to cause annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety.

He also pleaded guilty to a separate offence of possessing a bladed article.

Judge Stephen Earl told him: "This is a serious offence and is seen as serious because of the fact it ties down resources, not just in the control room but because they are duty-bound, even if there's a high possibility you are a hoax caller, they cannot ever take the risk that this might be the one time something serious is done.

"Someone always has to investigate. It ties down resources and that simply cannot continue."

Prosecutor Emma Dowling told the court Justice first dialled 999 at around 6.45pm on February 14 this year.

She said: "Calls were made on February 14 and he contacted police via 999 and he identified himself as someone called Justice, although he didn’t give his first name, and he said had stabbed a pal.

"He then hung up. The call handler tried to contact him and he rang police again about a minute later and said he had stabbed another friend and boarded the Metro and he had shot them.

"He said he had firearms and would shoot to kill. He then made a threat to shoot officers if they approached him and said he would shoot his friend.